


The Kuzumi Chronicles

by EmberCartwright



Series: Tyzula Things [65]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Cousins, Domestic Fluff, F/F, Kid Fic, Motherhood, Post-Canon, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, azula is actually a good mom, soft, ty lee is a good mom too but that surprised nobody, tyzula - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:47:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28354176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmberCartwright/pseuds/EmberCartwright
Summary: A collection of stories about Azula and Ty Lee's daughter, Kuzumi, and her adventures.
Relationships: Azula/Ty Lee (Avatar), Mai/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: Tyzula Things [65]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2019697
Comments: 7
Kudos: 154





	1. Morning With Mother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ty Lee is unwell, leaving Azula with Kuzumi for the day because Agni forbid she be in the nursery with the nanny all day.

Azula walked into the throne room where she was supposed to be heading up a budgeting meeting five minutes late, which was very uncharacteristic for her. 

However, that wasn’t the strangest thing about her as she brushed into the room quickly. Tucked into her arm, leaning against the shoulder of her immaculate work robes was a small baby girl in matching miniature robes. 

The small girl also had a tiny top knot to match her mother’s with a toy sized crown pressed into it. 

Azula sat down at the head of the table and readjusted Kuzumi so they were both comfortable. 

All the members of the National Security department gaped at her as she opened her folder with one hand while the other supported her daughter. 

“Well,” she snapped, looking up. “What are we waiting for? We’re already behind. Let’s begin,” she said. 

No one spoke, they were all too shocked. Everyone knew that Princess Azula and her wife Princess Ty Lee had a two year old daughter, but the very idea that Azula could be maternal was strange to the many people working under her. 

Azula looked around the table glaring at each person.

“Who’s talking first,” she asked, sounding exasperated. “You’re here to ask for an enlargement of your budget and I don’t think gaping at me is going to do that.” 

No one said anything they just watched the happy baby play with a loose piece of Azula’s hair, a fact that she herself was purposefully ignoring. 

“You,” Azula yelled, shooting fire out of two fingers over the director of the department. “Begin this meeting or I will leave and the budget will be slashed.”

The man was startled so much he fell backwards out of his seat. 

Kuzumi giggled and Azula turned to her, smiling softly. She bounced her a few times. 

“Yeah,” she whispered. “Did the stupid man just fall out of his chair?”

Kuzumi nodded and mimed shooting him with fire out of her fingers as well. She didn’t produce any fire but Azula saw a little smoke, causing her smile to broaden.

“Fire bam,” Kuzumi babbled. 

“Good job ‘Zumi,” Azula whispered. “Fire bending.” 

The director cleared his throat. 

“I’m listening,” Azula said, without turning her head. “How dare you assume I’m not.”

“I-I’m sorry princess,” he stuttered. 

“The next person to act like anything about this meeting is out of the ordinary will be permanently banished from the Fire Nation,” Azula said with a smile as she continued to watch her daughter clapping. 

“Banish!” Kuzumi screamed. 

“Correct,” she said. “Why don’t you point at someone and we can banish them. None of these people care enough about this meeting anyway.” 

“Wait Princess,” the director pleaded. “If you’ll turn your attention to this chart you’ll see that the number of internal attacks, especially in land further away from Caldera has been steadily increasing.” 

Azula turned her head to the man and Kuzumi mirrored her mother. They carefully listened to the presentation as the men and women from National Security plead their case.

Azula took a few notes and halfway through the meeting she put Kuzumi down to sit on the table and doodle on a different piece of scrap paper. 

“Do you have any questions,” the director asked, when everyone was finished talking. 

Azula looked at her notes for any questions but was distracted by her daughter standing on the table and pointing at the floor. 

“You’re interrupting a very important meeting,” she said dryly. 

Kuzumi giggled. 

Azula shook her head. 

“You’re just like your mom, you know that?”

“Put me down,” Kuzumi said, pointing at the floor again. 

“Not if you ask like that,” Azula said sternly. 

“Put me down please,” Kuzumi asked, holding out her arms. 

Azula sighed and grabbed her carefully, placing her on the floor. Immediately she ran towards the throne. 

After the birth of the two small princesses, pretty much every room in the palace was childproofed so Azula wasn’t concerned that she would hurt herself.

“You never specified exactly how much money you want,” Azula said. 

The people at the table blinked at her, most of them were too enraptured in the toddler running around and jumping on the cushions that made up the throne. During the reign of Fire Lord Ozai it would have been almost impossible to spot a royal child, much less one that was having fun. The reign of Fire Lord Zuko was drastically different.

“You asked if I had questions,” Azula said. “My question is: how much money do you want?”

“Oh,” the director said. “I’m so sorry princess I-”

“Don’t waste any more of my time with an apology, I just want the amount,” Azula growled. 

“Thirty percent increase,” the director said.

Azula raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. 

“That is quite a sum, especially for one of our highest funded departments,” she said. “Usually you’d include that in the presentation. Or were you waiting to see how much I would offer?”

The director opened his mouth to say something but his words were lost as Kuzumi ran back to her mother. 

"Up please, mother," she said.

Azula picked her up and held her against her side again. Kuzumi rested her head against Azula's shoulder and her mother used a free hand to readjust her crown which was lopsided.

“I think the presentation was a little half assed,” she cooed to her daughter, bouncing her. “Should we give them their money or send them out empty handed?” She asked Kuzumi.

Kuzumi stuck her hands out and made grabbing gestures. 

“Empty handed!” She announced. 

Azula nodded as if in agreement.

"A reasonable assessment," she muttered to her daughter.

"Thank you," Kuzumi said sweetly.

Then Azula looked up to see the downcast faces of the people at the table. 

“Do you people seriously think I would let a baby decide your budget? It’s a matter of national security!” She said. 

Everyone blushed and looked away from her. 

“However the presentation was uninspiring. I’m willing to grant a ten percent increase,” she said, closing her folder. “We don’t need to be ramping up security significantly right now. It will just look contentious to the other nations. I will make some calls about dealing with the rural threats separately.” 

She picked up the official budgeting document and filled it out. Then she signed it, rolled it up and heated wax with her hand, pressing an official seal onto the scroll. 

“Messenger,” she called. 

A man who was standing against the wall jogged towards her. 

“Take this to the Fire Lord,” she said, handing him the scroll. “Tell him it’s for the yearly budget.”

The messenger bowed and left. 

Azula didn’t wait for anyone else. She stood up and brushed out of the room towing her daughter. 

“Oh I almost forgot,” she said, turning when she was halfway out of the room. She returned to her folder and grabbed the piece of paper Kuzumi had scribbled on and handed it to the child to hold. 

“We’ll take this back to your mom as proof I didn’t neglect you like she was so afraid of,” Azula said to Kuzumi. Her daughter nodded and they left the room. 

After the meeting Azula decided it was time for her daughter to get some fresh air, a surefire way to tire her out. So, after grabbing some things from her office, she took them to one of the palace gardens.

Azula sat in the garden reading a scroll from her bag as her daughter ran around chasing a turtle duck. 

Every once in a while Azula glanced up to make sure Kuzumi was still around but she wasn’t worried. The girl was very attached to her mother, something which shocked most people, and would never go too far away from her, especially if her mom wasn’t around. 

After she was born, even the people closest to Azula had been shocked with how good of a mother she could be. Everyone but Ty Lee, who sat smugly and watched Azula play with their daughter, bragging to everyone that would listen that she called it. 

Azula still had her issues. She hated crying and tantrums, she couldn’t stand dirt and messes, although she’d gotten better about that, and she didn’t understand the concept of baby talk. She always talked to Kuzumi with her regular words but the girl always understood her perfectly. 

She was also very intelligent for her age, which secretly relieved Ty Lee because she knew it made it easier for Azula to bond with a small prodigy like she herself had been. 

Azula placed down one scroll and picked up another, unrolling it and beginning to read before she was interrupted by a loud peal of laughter. 

Mai had come into the garden and scooped up the baby turtle duck, placing it into Kuzumi’s outstretched hands. 

The girl ran over to Azula and proudly displayed her prize. 

“Look mother,” Kuzumi said as the duck flapped its wings. 

“Did you catch that yourself?” Azula asked, putting her scroll aside. 

Kuzumi furrowed her brow and shook her head.

“Aunt Mai helped,” she said. 

“It’s much more satisfying to capture something yourself,” Azula said.

“I can’t,” Kuzumi said, fighting to keep the animal from flying away. 

“Yes you can,” Azula said, taking it from her. 

“Hey!” Kuzumi said, about to complain. 

Azula shot her a look that kept her quiet. She leaned down and placed the turtle duck right next to her bench. It sat and looked up at Azula. 

Kuzumi was about to launch herself at it but Azula held her hand up. 

“Wait,” she said. Kuzumi did as she was told. “The best way to acquire your prey is to wait and listen. Approach with caution.” 

Taking her mother’s instructions to heart Kuzumi took a few small, slow steps before throwing herself down, covering the turtle duck and grasping it in her small toddler hands. 

Her eyes gleamed as she presented it to her mother. 

“I’m very proud of you,” Azula said, rubbing her head. 

Kuzumi beamed and let go of the animal. It took off across the garden. 

“I’ll go get again,” she said, running after it. 

“You’ll go get _it_ again,” Azula corrected after her.

Mai had watched the whole interaction and waited for Azula to take her attention off of her daughter before approaching. 

“It is being said around the palace that you took your daughter to a meeting this morning. I take this to mean that it’s true?” Mai asked. 

Azula nodded and sighed, scooching over so Mai could sit and watch Kuzumi as well. 

“Ty is under the weather,” Azula said rubbing her face. “You know how she refuses to allow a nanny near her for too long?”

Mai nodded. 

“I wanted to put her in the nursery with Izumi today,” Azula said. “She looked at me like I’d shot her and the baby full of lightning. So I asked if she expected me to take Kuzumi to work with me and well…”

Mai smirked. 

“You’re really under her thumb,” she said. 

“I’m too tired to argue with her,” Azula said. “There’s a difference.”

“Sure,” Mai said. 

“Seriously,” Azula replied. “I can win more arguments I actually care about if I let her have small victories. What does it matter to me that I take her to a budget meeting? We already decided all the budgets.”

Mai chuckled. 

“I guess that’s fair,” she said. “Do you want to watch mine sometime too? Zuko tears himself to pieces about the nanny thing as well.”

“It’s ridiculous,” Azula said. “We turned out fine and our parents never got near us.”

Mai lifted an eyebrow at her and Azula waved her off. 

“Our problems had nothing to do with that, okay.”

Mai shrugged. 

“It was definitely a combination of things,” Mai said. 

They both watched as Kuzumi fell flat onto her face and Mai cringed waiting for the yells. Instead she picked herself back up and kept running. 

“That was impressive. Mine would be in tears right now,” Mai said. 

“She’s well trained,” Azula said smugly. 

“She’s not a circus animal,” Mai said with a smirk. 

Azula rolled her eyes. 

“She knows she won’t get anything unless she articulates it,” she said. 

“Teaching that behavior must have killed Ty Lee,” Mai said. 

“I did a fair amount of holding her down,” Azula replied. “But Kuzumi was never in any real danger and now she acts immaculately.”

Mai nodded. 

“Very nice,” Mai said as Kuzumi ran over to her mother and aunt. 

“Going inside now?” Kuzumi asked, reaching her hands out. 

Azula cringed back when she saw they were covered in dirt. 

“Aw come on,” Mai said, scooping up her niece. “You can’t avoid a mess with toddlers.” 

“Mother,” Kuzumi whined, stretching her hands out as Azula grabbed her scrolls and put them into her satchel. 

“Wipe your hands on Aunt Mai and then we’ll talk,” Azula said with a sparkle in her eye. 

Kuzumi did so with the same sparkle and smirk her mother often wore. 

“Hey!” Mai exclaimed as Azula cackled and took her daughter, whose outstretched hands were now mostly clean. 

“You can’t avoid a mess with toddlers,” Azula said, bouncing Kuzumi. “You should really be walking young lady,” she said to her daughter. 

Kuzumi furrowed her brow and Azula kissed her head. 

“I won’t make you,” she said. “I’m just commenting on the fact that you should be.”

Kuzumi smiled and clapped, grasping her mother's robes with her tiny hands. 

“Maybe it’s her thumb that you’re under,” Mai commented as they walked into the palace. 

“I disagree,” Azula said.

“Snack time?” Kuzumi asked. 

“Yeah,” Azula said. “First we have to drop these scrolls off in my office but why don’t we get something for mom too? She’ll appreciate that.”

Mai gasped in feigned shock. 

“Your fourteen year old self would be appalled. Doing things? For people?” Mai asked. 

“My fourteen year old self didn’t know a lot of things,” Azula said. “She just thought that she did.” 

“You’re twenty nine,” Kuzumi said, digging her finger into her mother’s cheek. “I’m two,” she said, digging her hand into her own chest. 

“That’s right,” Azula said with a smile. “You know how old we are now.” 

Azula turned to Mai. 

“Are you expecting me to be impressed,” Mai deadpanned.

“Does your child know how old you are?” Azula asked. “My daughter is the smartest girl in the world. And then she will be the best firebender and the best everything,” she said, tossing Kuzumi in the air and catching her, causing her to squeal and laugh. 

Mai rolled her eyes but couldn’t help but smile at Azula’s behavior. 

“I’ll see you later for the meeting with Zuko,” she said. “Can I expect to see you there as well, Miss Kuzumi?”

Kuzumi nodded and brought her hands together in the way that she’d seen her mom and mother do to say hello and goodbye to people. 

Mai chuckled and readjusted her positioning for a proper fire nation bow. Then she bowed back.

“Maybe I’ll bring Izumi and you two can play,” Mai said.

“‘’Zumi square,” Kuzumi said excitedly.

“See how smart,” Azula said, kissing her again. 

“She’s just heard you say that,” Mai said. “She doesn’t know what it means.”

“I’m ‘Zumi,” Kuzumi said, pointing to herself. “Also ‘Zumi is ‘Zumi,” she said, pointing at Mai and then down the hall to where her cousin was, in the nursery. “Square!”

Azula rocked her baby, both of them smiling at Mai. Mai thought that they looked eerily similar. 

She walked away without another word. 

Azula carried Kuzumi to her office and dropped her scrolls onto her desk. She placed her daughter on the ground and took her hand. 

“Pick me up please,” Kuzumi said. 

“We’re walking now,” Azula said, leading her to the kitchens. 

“I’m tired,” Kuzumi said. 

“Good thing that right after snack time is nap time,” Azula said.

“Are you going to nap,” Kuzumi asked. 

“I wish,” Azula said, steering her into the kitchens. 

All the staff looked up at them. 

“Tea for three and crackers,” Azula said. Then she took Kuzumi over to a sink and washed the remainder of the dirt off of her hands, as well as a few smudges on her face. A tray was made quickly and a servant followed Azula and Kuzumi to Azula’s room. 

The pace was slow as Kuzumi took little tiny steps but Azula was very patient and the servant knew better than to walk around them. 

“You can knock on the door,” Azula said to her daughter when they reached her and Ty Lee’s room. 

Kuzumi brought up her small fist and hit it against the door a few times. 

“Open it,” she said, looking up at Azula. 

“No,” her mother said. “We always wait to be allowed into a room after we knock.”

Kuzumi nodded and knocked again. 

“Who is it,” Ty Lee called from inside. 

“‘Zumi and ‘Zula,” Kuzumi said excitedly, causing Azula to laugh. She could hear her wife laughing from inside the room as well. 

“Come in,” Ty Lee called and Azula pushed open the door. The servant entered behind them and set up the tea, leaving quickly. 

Kuzumi ran to the tall bed where her mom lay and reached for her. Azula gave her a boost and she threw herself into Ty Lee’s arms. 

“What did you call your mother?” Ty Lee asked, hugging her small daughter tightly. 

“‘Zula,” Kuzumi said pointing at Azula. “Ty,” she said, pointing at her mom. “‘Zumi,” she said pointing at herself. 

“Very good job,” Ty Lee said, kissing her cheek. 

Azula walked over to her bed and looked at her wife and daughter in it. Ty Lee moved to make room for Azula to slide in. 

Azula got in the bed and pulled her wife against her chest. 

“How are you feeling,” she murmured into her ear, kissing her neck. 

“Meh,” Ty Lee replied. “I don’t think it’s contagious or anything. It’s probably just my period coming.”

Azula nodded. Ty Lee turned her head and kissed Azula. 

“It better not be contagious,” Azula said when she pulled away. 

Ty Lee giggled. 

“So how was your morning,” she asked. 

“Kuzumi, do you have something for mom,” Azula asked, causing Ty Lee to furrow her brow in confusion. 

Kuzumi reached into the pocket of her robe and pulled out a tightly folded piece of paper. 

“Drawing for you,” she said, giving it to her mom. 

Ty Lee took the square and unfolded it, revealing Kuzumi’s scribbles from that morning. 

“This is a very pretty drawing,” Ty Lee said, brushing Kuzumi’s head with one hand. Her top knot had fallen apart and her crown was barely holding on. 

Putting down the toddler’s art Ty Lee undid her hair, letting it fall down her shoulders. 

“We went to a budget meeting,” Azula said and Kuzumi nodded. “Then we played in the gardens. Later we’re going to have a meeting with Uncle Zuko, Aunt Mai and Izumi might be there.”

“I’m sorry if she’s interrupting your work,” Ty Lee said. “I just think it’s better if one of us is always with her. She’ll know she’s loved that way. Plus maybe she’ll learn about politics.”

“I know politics,” Kuzumi said matter-of-factly, sliding off the bed and hopping onto the desk chair to reach the tray with her crackers and tea.

Ty Lee giggled.

“Careful,” Azula said, extracting herself from Ty Lee quickly and snatching Kuzumi up. “The tea is hot.” 

She sat Kuzumi down on the chair and handed her a cracker which she began to eat gleefully. She placed the rest of them within the small girl's reach.

“Can you please bring me the tea ‘Zula,” Ty Lee said. 

Azula complied, bringing the cup over to their bed. Ty Lee took it and kissed her cheek. She got her own tea and got back onto the bed, taking Ty Lee's hand while they listened to Kuzumi babble about her new turtle duck friend as well as the best strategy to stalk prey. 

When she was done with her crackers Azula handed her a small tea cup and allowed her to drink some. Following that she picked her up and carried her through the bedroom to a panel by the bathroom. She pushed it and walked through a secret passage to Kuzumi’s room. 

“Nap time,” Azula whispered, putting her onto the dresser and taking off her robe, sliding her into pajamas and brushing the cracker crumbs out of her hands. 

“I’m tired,” Kuzumi said, blinking her eyes closed for a long time. 

“So stop fighting it,” Azula said, lifting her into her bed and tucking her into it, kissing her head. 

“Tell me a story first,” Kuzumi said, clutching her mother’s sleeve.

“I’ll read you one tonight,” she said, straightening. “This is just a nap.”

“Please,” Kuzumi begged. 

Azula sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed. 

“Once upon a time there was a very annoying little girl who didn’t want to nap,” she said dryly. 

Kuzumi giggled. 

“Was it me,” she asked. 

“How did you know,” Azula said, pulling the covers tightly over her. 

“What next?” Kuzumi asked. 

“Her mother asked her very nicely and she went to sleep,” Azula said. 

“Sounds fair,” Kuzumi said. 

Azula smiled and got up. 

“See you soon ‘Zumi,” she said walking out of the room. By the time she reached the wall her daughter was asleep. 

Just like her mom, Azula thought. 

Upon returning to her room Azula got in bed again. 

“Don’t you have work,” Ty Lee asked as Azula curled up next to her. 

“I’ll do it tomorrow,” she whispered into Ty lee’s side as she wrapped her arms around her. “That kid is tiring.”

Ty Lee stroked her hair and kissed her head. 

“You’re an amazing mom ‘Zula,” Ty Lee said. 

“You too,” Azula said drowsily. “Please wake me up in like an hour.” 

Ty Lee nodded and continued stroking her hair.


	2. Deconstructing "Best Friend"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuzumi sets out to discover who her best friend is and she learns a lot more than that along the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> disclaimer: this is one of the longest one shots I've ever written but I j kinda got carried away in the idea and turned it into a thing

Izumi and Kuzumi walked inside from the gardens panting and sweating. 

“Why do you think they grow grass in that garden and then allow us to shoot fire at it,” Kuzumi said. “Do they replant it every day?”

“I think it’s special grass,” Izumi said. “They just pour some water on it and it is good as new. I read something about it once.”

“That’s so cool!” Kuzumi said, turning back to see if the grass was working its magic yet. It wasn’t. 

“If you want I can find you that book,” Izumi suggested.

“I will wholeheartedly take your world for it,” Kuzumi said, gently smacking her cousin’s arm. 

“Well, I’m going to go down to the baths,” Izumi said, wiping her glasses on her shirt which was just as gross so it didn’t really help. “Wanna come?”

“Not right now,” Kuzumi said. “I have to talk to my mother.”

“Okay,” Izumi said. “See you later?”

“Of course,” Kuzumi said with a smile, bowing to her in the traditional fire nation style, with her fist below her palm. 

Izumi giggled and reciprocated. Then she ran down the hall towards the baths.

Kuzumi was now alone. She stepped pointedly towards the room where she knew her mother would be at this time and entered assuredly.

Kuzumi walked through the tall stacks in the royal palace library, tracing her fingers against the colorful spines. 

She spotted her mother sitting at a desk with several piles of paper stacked higher than her head and she stopped, shifting from foot to foot. 

“You’re breathing very loud,” Azula said, without turning back to face her daughter. “Not at all becoming of a fire bender.”

“Sorry,” Kuzumi squeaked. 

“Come here,” Azula said, placing a paper on top of a stack, still not turning back. 

Kuzumi walked around and stood in front of Azula’s desk. 

“Good afternoon,” Azula said, smiling up at her daughter.

“Good afternoon mother,” Kuzumi said, bowing to her. 

Azula pushed her chair back and stood stretching. She stepped around to her daughter and pulled her into a hug and Kuzumi squeezed her back. 

“What was that for,” her daughter asked as Azula pulled away. 

“You remind me of myself and I know I could have used a few more hugs at your age,” Azula said.

Kuzumi blushed and brushed a piece of her long hanging bangs behind her ear. 

Being compared to her mother was the greatest compliment for her because she worshipped her. She loved to be told how they looked alike or acted alike, and even styled herself to that effect. 

Ty Lee was slightly concerned with her idolization of Azula but her wife frequently reassured her that there was not a single malicious bone in their daughters body. 

The evil tendencies Azula had exhibited as a child seemed to have stemmed primarily from nurture because Kuzumi was sweet and kind and caring. 

“So why are you here,” Azula asked, sitting down at her desk again. “It’s an odd hour for a visit.”

“May I ask you a question,” she asked, folding her hands behind her back.

“Only if I may ask a few first,” Azula said. 

Kuzumi grinned. This was her favorite game to play. She loved answering her mother’s questions and earning her praise, which was a lot harder won than Ty Lee’s but still frequently given.

“Of course,” she said. 

“Where were you before this?” Azula asked.

“Me and ‘Zumi were practicing our katas,” Kuzumi replied. 

“How long did you train for?”

“I don’t train for a specific amount of time, I simply work until I feel mastery of the movements,” Kuzumi said. 

Azula nodded in approval. 

“How many forms do you know to perfection?” 

“I have mastered eleven forms,” Kuzumi said. 

“Eleven?”

“I completed the eleventh one today,” she said. 

“Very nice,” Azula said. 

“Thank you,” Kuzumi replied. 

“Did you hydrate after?” Azula asked. 

Kuzumi stood in silence. 

Azula raised an eyebrow at her. 

“I forgot,” she said, blushing. “I just came here.”

Azula shook her head. 

“It is very important to replenish your water after you train, especially if you train hard. If you feel thirsty it’s already too late,” Azula lectured. 

“I’m sorry mother,” Kuzumi said, hanging her head. 

Azula stood up and Kuzumi watched her. 

“Don’t apologize to me, apologize to your body,” she said.

Kuzumi nodded.

“Well,” Azula said, “let’s go get some water then.” 

“What about your work?” Kuzumi asked. 

“I’ll leave a note, then no one will touch it,” Azula said, grabbing a blank sheet of paper. She dipped her brush into the inkwell and noticed Kuzumi staring longingly. 

“Do you want to write,” she asked, offering the implement to her daughter. 

“Yes, please,” she said grabbing the ink, splattering a few drops over the paper. 

Azula cringed but didn't say anything. 

“What should I write,” Kuzumi asked, looking at her mother.

“Whatever you deem appropriate to defend my papers,” Azula said, crossing her arms. 

Kuzumi thought for a moment and then pressed her brush to the paper. 

“Do not touch - P. Azula,” Azula read out loud over her shoulder. “Effective and to the point. I like it,” she said. 

Kuzumi carefully put down the brush and smiled at Azula. 

“The handwriting could use some work,” Azula mused. 

“That’s the most boring part of school,” Kuzumi complained as Azula took out another sheet of paper from her blank pile. 

“Do it again, but neater,” she said. She burned the first attempt slowly in her hand until it was a small pile of ash which she brushed into her trash bin. 

Kuzumi lifted the brush and wrote again, much slower this time, creating crisp, straight letters. She dropped the brush triumphantly. 

Azula nodded. 

“Much better but the speed was all wrong. You’ll never write good letters this way. You’re going to be an advisor to the Fire Lord, so you’ll need to write nicely and a lot of it.”

She took another piece of paper and Kuzumi picked up the brush for a third time. This time she wrote quickly and legibly while Azula incinerated and disposed of the second attempt. 

“Perfect,” Azula said, shifting the page to the center of the desk and taking her daughter’s hand. “Next time you can do it that way from the first try.”

“May I ask my question now,” Kuzumi asked as they walked down the hall. 

“Permission granted,” Azula said as they entered the dining room. 

She sat down at one of the tables and Kuzumi sat across from her. 

A servant came over immediately. 

“Can we get a large pot of tea and two cups,” Kuzumi asked. 

The servant nodded and left. 

“You didn’t specify a blend,” Azula said. 

“It’s Saturday,” Kuzumi said. “Great Uncle Iroh’s in there. He’ll just pick his favorite.”

Azula nodded as the pot was brought out to them quickly. The servant poured two cups and left the rest of the kettle on the table. 

“So your question?” Azula asked, sipping the tea.

“Who’s your best friend,” Kuzumi asked.

Azula raised an eyebrow and put down her cup. 

“You have to give an answer,” Kuzumi reminded her. “You already asked your questions.”

“Ty,” Azula said right away.

“You didn’t think for that long,” Kuzumi commented. 

“I didn’t need to,” Azula said. “Your mom is my best friend.”

“She’s your wife,” Kuzumi said. 

Azula shrugged. 

“Does everyone have to marry their best friend,” Kuzumi asked.

“No,” Azula said. “Marry the person that you love. For me that happened to be my best friend.”

“Was she always your best friend?”

Azula exhaled and thought about it. 

“I guess you can say that Mai was my best friend for a while. And then both of them were somewhat equal. However, once we went into the field during the war, I started getting closer with Ty.”

“Did you ever love Aunt Mai,” Kuzumi asked. 

“I love her as my oldest and closest friend, but I was never romantically interested,” Azula said. “She also had a crush on my brother from like ten years old, which I found extremely gross.”

Azula took another sip from her tea. 

“What’s one thing that makes someone your best friend? Why mom?” Kuzumi asked. 

“Trust,” Azula said. “Your best friend is the person that you will trust with all of your secrets.” 

Kuzumi nodded and pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket. 

“What’s that,” Azula asked. 

“I want to figure out who my best friend is so I’m making a list of all the qualities of one,” Kuzumi said. She pulled a pen out of the same pocket and printed “trust” at the top of the sheet, quickly and with good penmanship. 

“Who else are you going to ask,” Azula asked. 

“Well I wanted to ask you, mom, Aunt Mai and Uncle Zuko,” Kuzumi said.

“You’ll get a good range of answers,” Azula said. 

Kuzumi pocketed her paper and pen and picked up her tea. She took a sip and made a displeased face. 

“It’s cold,” Azula commented. “Isn’t it?”

Kuzumi nodded. 

“Heat it,” Azula commanded. “Be careful not to boil it. Infuse just enough heat to make it hot.”

Kuzumi placed her hand underneath the cup, made a small fire in her palm and looked at her mother. 

Azula shook her head and Kuzumi tried placing her hand on the side of the cup, making direct contact. 

Azula didn’t disapprove so she decided that was the right thing to do. 

She slowly began to warm the cup by heating her hand. 

“Control,” Azula warned. 

She strained to keep herself from getting carried away as a little steam began to come from the surface of the liquid. When she saw this she let go quickly.

She took a sip and brought her eyes up to her mother. 

“Well?”

“Perfect,” Kuzumi said. 

“Very nice,” Azula said. “Maybe you should practice tea brewing with your great uncle. It’s a very good exercise in precision.” 

“Okay,” Kuzumi said, taking another sip.  
*******************************************************************************************************************************  
After tea with her mother Kuzumi wandered down the hall to her parents’ room. 

She briefly considered seeking out her cousin to tell her about her chat with her mother but decided to tell her when she was done with her experiment of sorts. 

She filed away a mental note to inform Izumi that she had been right about her penmanship. Izumi had warned her Azula would notice her slacking on her letters right away and Kuzumi hadn’t believed her. 

The usual guard was stationed in front of her mom and mother’s room. 

“Hey Lee, is my mom inside,” Kuzumi asked. 

“Yes princess,” the guard said, bowing. 

Kuzumi lifted her fist and knocked on the door, waiting to be invited in. 

“Who is it,” Ty Lee called. 

“Kuzumi,” she replied. 

“Come in baby,” Ty Lee said. 

Kuzumi pushed open the door and entered to see her mom putting away clothing from various bags. 

“Did you go shopping,” she asked, hopping up to sit on the bed. 

“Hey get off of my clean bed, you’re still in your training clothes,” Ty Lee said, brushing her off the bed. Kuzumi went to perch on the desk instead. 

“So did you?” Kuzumi asked. “Go shopping?”

“I certainly did!” Ty Lee said, returning to her task of sorting the clothes. “I got you a few things to try on later.”

Kuzumi groaned. 

“I hate trying on clothes. I know I’ll look good in it if you picked it,” she said. 

Ty Lee turned to her with a smile. 

“That sounds like something your mother would say,” she said. 

Kuzumi grinned. 

“Speaking of which,” Ty Lee said, picking up a smaller bag. “I got your mother this necklace. Do you think she’ll like it?”

She opened a small black box and showed a gold chain with a red gem dangling from it as well as small golden strands. 

“It’s beautiful,” Kuzumi said, her eyes wide. “Maybe you should give it to me instead,” she asked with wide eyes. 

Ty Lee chuckled and kissed her brow. 

“You’re a bit too small in proportions to wear this for now,” she said. “Maybe if you stretch out a bit.”

Kuzumi pouted. 

“No,” Ty Lee scolded, causing her daughter to regain a neutral face, her displeasure still evident in her eyes.

“Did you get me any jewelry?” Kuzumi asked.

“Maybe if you try on the clothes I got you you’ll get rewarded with something exciting.”

“If you bought clothes in my size why wouldn’t they fit,” Kuzumi asked. 

“It’s about _how_ they fit,” Ty Lee said. “And you refuse to go shopping with me.”

“Do you want to see something cool,” Kuzumi asked, diverting her mom’s attention from the tedious task of trying on clothes. 

“Always,” Ty Lee said excitedly. 

Kuzumi got off of the desk and dropped herself down to walk on her hands for a few steps before kicking over to a standing position. 

“You’re getting good at that,” Ty Lee said, clapping excitedly. 

“Thank you mom,” Kuzumi said, taking a bow. “It’s all thanks to you, really.”

“Can I offer one bit of advice,” Ty Lee said, standing. 

“Always,” Kuzumi said. 

“Go back into a handstand,” Ty Lee instructed. 

Kuzumi flipped back onto her hands and Ty Lee did the same next to her. 

“You need to turn your hands more inwards, like this,” Ty Lee demonstrated.

Kuzumi shifted her wrists to how her mom specified. 

“Good,” Ty Lee said, doing a backbend and straightening up. “That’ll help with endurance and avoiding injuries.”

Kuzumi stood and nodded.

“So, to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit,” Ty Lee asked. “You should really be on your way to the baths.”

“I wanted to ask you a question,” Kuzumi said. 

“Shoot,” Ty Lee replied, sitting on her bed and pulling her knee up to her chest. 

Kuzumi sat on top of the desk again and copied the position. 

“Who’s your best friend,” Kuzumi asked. 

“Just one?” Ty Lee asked. 

“Your absolute, very best friend,” Kuzumi confirmed. 

Ty Lee scrunched her brow in thought and bit her lip. 

“I guess I’d have to say ‘Zula,” she said. 

Kuzumi nodded. 

“Who were your runner ups?”

“I mean Mai, obviously, and I love you Aunt Suki too, but ‘Zula is my closest friend for sure,” Ty Lee said. 

“Interesting,” Kuzumi said. 

“What’s interesting,” Ty Lee asked. “Who did your mother say?”

“How did you know I asked her,” Kuzumi countered. 

“You just told me,” Ty Lee said with a smirk, using one of Azula’s best tricks. 

“She said you,” Kuzumi said, sliding from the desk into the chair, wrapping her arms around the back of it. 

Ty Lee smiled softly. 

“Do you have to marry your best friend,” Kuzumi asked, repeating the question she had posed to Azula. 

“You don’t have to marry your best friend, but it’s so much more fun if your spouse becomes your best friend,” Ty Lee said. 

“Was mother not your best friend until you married her?”

“I was always very close with her,” Ty Lee said. “However, when we first started seeing each other there were some…" She trailed off and paused for a moment, unsure of how much to share with her daughter. "I was really close with the Kyoshi Warriors girls as well as Mai, and ‘Zula was just my girlfriend. By the time that we got married she was undoubtedly my best friend, though,” Ty Lee said. 

“She didn’t say that,” Kuzumi said. “She said she got close to you when you went to fight in the war together.” 

“That’s true,” Ty Lee said slowly. “After the war there was…" She trailed off again. Kuzumi would have plenty of time in her life to learn about, and accept, her mother's dark past. Now wasn't the time to start her on that journey, Ty Lee decided. "It’s all about perspective,” she finished, hoping to have sated her daughter’s curiosity. 

“One more question,” Kuzumi said, pulling out her sheet of paper. “What is the most important quality in a best friend?”

Ty Lee thought for a second. 

“What did your mother say?”

“I won’t tell you until after,” Kuzumi said. “It’ll spoil my experiment.”

“Hmm,” Ty Lee said. “I guess I would say your best friend is the first person you turn to when something funny happens because you want to share the laugh with them.”

Kuzumi nodded and wrote it down. 

“Thanks mom!” She said, popping up. 

“What’s the experiment,” Ty Lee said. 

“I’m trying to figure out who my best friend is,” Kuzumi said.

“Who else is a part of the experiment,” Ty Lee asked. 

“I’m going to ask Aunt Mai and Uncle Zuko,” Kuzumi said, folding up her paper and putting it into her pocket. 

“Well, you’re not going to do that right now,” Ty Lee said, standing up as well.

“I’m not?”

“No, right now we’re going to the baths,” she said. 

“I really want to finish this first,” Kuzumi said. 

“And I really want you to be clean because if you get some sort of rash from sweat and training clothes, no one will tolerate your complaining,” Ty Lee said, holding out her hand. 

Kuzumi took it reluctantly and allowed herself to be led to where the baths were. 

“I can go alone, you know,” she said. “I’m seven.”

“I know how old you are,” Ty Lee said. “Am I not allowed to take a bath?”

“Oh,” Kuzumi said. “I guess you can.”

“Thank you for granting me permission,” Ty Lee said, unraveling her braid. 

“Don’t you usually take baths with mother?” Kuzumi asked.

Ty Lee blushed. 

“S-sometimes,” she said. 

“What?” Kuzumi said, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion. 

“Nothing,” Ty Lee said, reaching into her daughter’s hair and undoing her bun. “Nevermind.”  
********************************************************************************************************************************************  
After she was clean she let her mom pick out some clothes for her but ran away with her paper and pen before she could be made to try stuff on. 

“Your hair is wet,” Ty Lee called after her as Kuzumi fled her room. 

“I’ll dry it myself,” she called back.

“You better not come to dinner with half a head of singed hair again,” Ty Lee shouted. 

She sighed and shook her head. It wasn’t so important that she needed to chase her daughter down, and she’d agreed with Azula and Mai that Saturdays could be a free day for Kuzumi and Izumi to roam the palace and do whatever they wanted, to some extent. They never had days off as children and they wanted their daughters to experience a little freedom and a little choice. 

Worst case scenario, Kuzumi was due for a haircut anyway. 

The girl didn’t stop running until she was far enough away from her mom that she was sure she wouldn't be chased down.

Stopping and panting she grabbed onto the wall for a second before regaining her composure. Fire benders don’t get out of breath. 

She walked the rest of the way to her cousin’s room calmly and walked in. Izumi’s room was the only room in the whole palace she didn’t need to knock to enter. 

“Hey ‘Zumi,” she called before she even saw her cousin.

“What’s up ‘Zumi,” her cousin replied. She was lying on her stomach reading a book. 

“Will you help me dry my hair really quick?”

“Are you sure you want me to do this again?” Izumi asked. “Last time I messed up your hair pretty badly.”

“Yes please,” Kuzumi said. “You’re still more controlled than I am plus I told my mom and mother it was me who did that anyway.”

“Whatever makes you happy,” Izumi said.

She sat up and adjusted her glasses.

“Are all four of your eyes ready,” Kuzumi joked. 

Izumi rolled her eyes and walked over to her. She raised her hand and radiated heat from it.

“Are you ready?” she asked.

Kuzumi nodded and held out a chunk of her hair.

Izumi waved her hand over it and the girls watched the water evaporate out of it. 

“Perfect! Ok, now other side,” Kuzumi said, spinning around and holding out the other half of her hair, allowing Izumi to dry it out.

When she was done Kuzumi threw herself onto her in a bear hug. 

“Thanks ‘Zumi,” she said, pulling back. “It worked so well this time!”

“Any time,” Izumi said with a smile. “Do you want to play something?”

“I’m actually conducting an experiment but I’d love to play after dinner,” Kuzumi said. “I’ll be done by then for sure.”

“Ooh what experiment?” Izumi asked, intrigued. “Is it science?”

“It’s an anthropological experiment. I’ll tell you all about it later, I promise,” Kuzumi said, holding up her pinky. 

Izumi grabbed it on her own.

“Okay, you better not break it.”

“Never,” Kuzumi said. “Do you know where your mom is, by the way?”

“Mine?” Izumi asked, scrunching up her eyebrows. 

“Yeah.”

“I would check the knife room. She likes to go there on Saturdays.”

“Ok but before I go I have to tell you a few things before I forget,” Kuzumi said. 

Izumi looked at her expectantly. 

“You were right about my mother and the handwriting,” Kuzumi said, counting on her fingers. “Also my mother does make a face when Great Uncle Iroh is mentioned, I can't believe I never noticed that before.”

Izumi nodded. 

“And I mentioned something to my mom about her taking baths with my mother and she got so red it was hilarious!”

Izumi giggled.

“Embarrassing adults is too funny,” she said. 

“I wonder why she was embarrassed though,” Kuzumi said. 

Izumi shrugged.

“Agni only knows,” she said, repeating a phrase she heard her own mother use frequently. 

“Anyway,” Kuzumi said. “Catch you later!”

Kuzumi waved and ran out the door.  
******************************************************************************************************************************  
She jogged through the palace, dodging various servants, until she reached Mai’s knife room. 

Just as Izumi had said, the Fire Lady was throwing knives lazily at targets, hitting each one perfectly. 

Kuzumi knocked on the door frame, not wanting a knife to accidentally land in her if she startled her aunt. 

Mai turned around and noticed her niece. 

“Hello Kuzumi,” she said, putting down the stiletto in her hand. “Care to give it a try?”

Kuzumi approached and picked up the knife she just put down. 

“Which target should I aim at,” she asked, looking at the room filled with different objects, some moving and some stationary. 

“I’d start with the one directly in front of you,” Mai said, pointing at the one across the room. 

“There’s already a knife in there,” Kuzumi said.

Mai chuckled. 

“You think you’re going to hit the bullseye?”

“I’ve been practicing with some targets in my fire bending training,” Kuzumi said.

“Throwing knives is completely different,” Mai said. “Firebending comes from your center and goes outwards unless you want to do it otherwise. Knives are all about the angle. Watch.”

She grabbed a long, sharp knife from the nearby shelf full of them. 

She demonstrated the proper stance and way to hold the knife and Kuzumi adjusted herself so they looked the same. 

“Good,” Mai said. “Now you’re going to keep the target in your sight and release.” 

As she said that, she let go of the knife she was holding and it flew straight into the back of the knife already in the center of the target. 

Kuzumi scrunched up her face in concentration and hurled the knife as hard as she could. It grazed the edge of the target and toppled to the ground. 

“It’s not about your strength,” Mai said, taking Kuzumi’s arm and showing her the motion again. “It’s about precision and repetition.” 

“Do you look at it sideways or head on,” Kuzumi said, angling her head a few different ways. 

“Try it out,” Mai deadpanned. 

Kuzumi threw a few knives from a few different stances to varying success. 

“One more try,” she begged as Mai crossed her arms bemusedly. 

“Go for it,” she said. 

Kuzumi took aim, made sure she had the perfect stance and eyed the target from a side angle. She let the knife fly and it bounced point first right into Mai’s two knives in the center of the target. 

She turned to her aunt beaming.

“Did you see that Aunt Mai?” She asked, jumping up and down. 

“Good job,” Mai said with a genuine smile. “With a little practice you can turn that fluke into a regular occurrence.”

Kuzumi nodded hard. 

“Maybe bring my daughter with you next time too,” Mai said. 

“She was reading something,” Kuzumi said with a shrug.

Mai nodded.

“She does enjoy more intellectual pursuits,” Mai said. 

“She’s only eight,” Kuzumi said, as if she was any wiser at the ripe old age of seven. “Maybe she’ll change.”

“Very true, although there is nothing wrong with intellectual pursuits. Agni knows her father should have done more of them,” Mai said. “Is this why you came down here?”

“No actually I came to ask you a question,” Kuzumi said, pulling out her piece of paper and pen.

“Is this an interview,” Mai deadpanned. “Are you secretly the press?”

Kuzumi giggled. 

“No,” she said. 

“Okay, but just in case you are I don’t know what’s happening with the rezoning of the lower district.”

“Who’s your best friend?” Kuzumi asked between giggles. Her aunt’s sense of humor was dry but Kuzumi found all her jokes hilarious. 

“I would say your mother and mom,” Mai replied, fairly quickly. 

“Which one is bester,” Kuzumi asked.

“That is not a word.”

“Which one is your better friend,” she adjusted. 

“Well I’ve known your mother for longer, but as I’m sure you can tell your mom is much more open… I don’t think I could pick. They’re genuinely the two closest people in my life besides my husband,” Mai said, opening up more to her niece than she ever had before. 

“Why didn’t you say that Uncle Zuko is your best friend,” Kuzumi asked.

“I love him,” Mai said. “I married him. But he’s not my best friend.”

“What is the most important quality of a best friend,” Kuzumi asked. 

“A best friend is someone who you would do anything for. You would lie for them and take blame for them,” Mai said. 

Kuzumi copied what she said dutifully. 

“Hmm,” she said.

“Why do you ask,” Mai said. 

“I’m trying to figure out who my best friend is,” Kuzumi said, pocketting her paper and pen. “Can I ask two more things?”

“Of course.”

“Does your best friend have to say that you’re their best friend?”

“Did your moms say each other?” Mai asked. 

Kuzumi nodded. 

“You were a close second for both, though,” she added. 

Mai smirked. 

“Those two are something special. They are in love but they also just suit each other better than any two people I’ve ever encountered. All that and they’re polar opposites,” she said, shaking her head. 

“Your best friend is whoever you feel it is, regardless of their thoughts,” Mai finished. 

“Since Uncle Zuko isn’t your best friend is there a limit to what you would do for him, or is there something you would do for one of my parents that you wouldn’t do for him?”

“That’s a very loaded question,” Mai said, impressed at her niece’s intellect. “I think that I gave my answer based more on past experiences and history than my anticipation of the future. I’ve been through more with your mom and mother although…” Mai trailed off. 

“Although?”

“I went with my gut for the answer,” Mai said. “I’m not going to overthink it now. Sometimes it is better to accept what your body and your mind tell you because they know you better than anyone else.”

“Thank you so much Aunt Mai, for the knife throwing practice and for answering my question,” Kuzumi said.

“No problem,” Mai said, jumping into the target field to collect her knives. 

“Let me help,” Kuzumi said, trying to step over the barrier. 

“No stay there,” Mai said. “It’s safer if I just do it.”

She collected all the knives and returned, filing them away. 

“Can I just try one more,” Kuzumi said.

Mai nodded. 

Kuzumi weighed all the new knives that had been added to the rack. She picked one up and twirled it with surprisingly deft hands for a seven year old.

She took aim and let it loose, hitting the center of the target.

Her mouth formed a wide O and she lifted her arms in the air, which Mai found so cute she felt compelled to give her a double high five.

“Great work,” she said. 

Kuzumi smiled and then turned and ran away from the room.  
*************************************************************************************************************************  
There was only one person left on her mental list of interviewees. The Fire Lord. 

Kuzumi approached his office, and lurked at the corner, scared to proceed forward. 

“Whatcha doing,” Izumi said from behind her, causing her to jump up. 

“Oh hey,” Kuzumi said. “I just have to talk to your dad to complete my experiment.”

“Is he in his office,” Izumi asked. 

Kuzumi looked around the corner at the door. There were four guards stationed outside. 

“I think so,” she said.

“How are you going to get past the guards,” Izumi asked. 

“What do you mean?” Kuzumi asked. “I was going to just walk over to the door and knock.”

“They’ll never let you in,” Izumi whispered excitedly. “What if you’re an assassin?”

“I’m a child and his niece,” Kuzumi said, skeptically. “Why would they deny me entry?”

“They’re been trained to shoot first and ask questions later,” Izumi said, miming shooting fireballs from her hands. 

Kuzumi’s eyes widened. 

“How am I supposed to get in then,” she asked.

“I’ll help,” Izumi said.

“How?”

“I’ll create a diversion,” she said.

“What kind of diversion will distract the guards meant to protect the Fire Lord?”

“One that concerns the future Fire Lord,” Izumi said with a smirk. 

“Okay,” Kuzumi said. “I trust you.” 

“Good,” Izumi said. “When you see me go around the corner that way,” she said pointing down the hall opposite them, “run for it.”

Kuzumi nodded. 

“One, two three,” Izumi counted before she sprinted around the corner. 

Kuzumi didn’t see what was going on but she heard her cousin scream for help and then dash down the hall, all four guards training her, concerned. 

Kuzumi bolted down the hall and knocked on the door. 

“Come in,” Zuko called from within. 

Kuzumi pushed the door open and slid inside. 

“Oh, hey ‘Zumi,” Zuko said. “What was that noise outside?”

Kuzumi shrugged and walked towards his desk. It was surprisingly empty compared to the amount of stuff her mother had on her table in the library. 

“Please sit,” Zuko said, indicating to the large chair across from him at his desk. 

Kuzumi hopped up and sat the way she’d seen Azula sit, with her legs crossed and her fists on the arm rests. 

Zuko smiled. 

“You look just like her, it’s a little scary,” he said. “You know, she sits right there when we have meetings, which is very often. One day you and ‘Zumi will sit like this.” 

“Hopefully,” Kuzumi said, grinning. 

“Have you seen her recently, by the way? I’m waiting on her notes about some correspondence we’ve received,” Zuki asked.

“I had tea with her a while ago,” Kuzumi said. “She was going back to the library the last time I spoke with her and she had like a thousand papers surrounding her.”

Zuko nodded and ran a hand through his short beard. 

“Do you actually want to help me with something quickly, while you’re here?”

“Fire Lord duties?” Kuzumi asked.

“Sort of,” Zuko replied. “If you’re going to work in this position you have to be really good at sorting. Can you help me sort some letters?”

“Sort them how?”

“I need to make a pile of letters that contain the word lotus and one that doesn’t,” Zuko said. “Normally I’d ask Azula or Mai to help but since you’re here…” 

“Is this just a way for you to do less work,” Kuzumi asked with a smirk. 

Zuko gave her a lopsided grin. 

“Don’t tell anyone, but paperwork is my least favorite aspect of this job,” he said. “Unfortunately it is what I have to do the most.”

“I’ll help,” Kuzumi said, stretching her hand out. Zuko gave her half of a stack of papers to his left and she began scanning the pages. 

She looked over an entire sheet before dropping it into a pile while Zuko was sorting his half far quicker.

“It’s easier if you don’t read them, just look for what the word lotus looks like instead of context,” Zuko suggested. 

Kuzumi nodded and employed his new strategy. 

“So what’s your favorite part of the job if it’s not doing paperwork,” she asked while they worked. 

“I really like resolving conflicts,” Zuko said. “It’s so satisfying to leave a meeting where there is a good outcome.”

“I think I would prefer the legislative aspect myself,” Kuzumi said. “Drafting laws and the like.”

“Your mother is the same way,” Zuko said. “Although she was raised and primed to be the Fire Lord she has been the most successful law, and speech, writer in the history of the nation, I’d say. You’ll definitely read her work in school.”

“Does she write all of your speeches,” Kuzumi asked as the piles grew on both sides of her.

“Pretty much,” Zuko said. “An important aspect of ruling is knowing your strengths. You mother is good with words, exceptional with them really. Your Aunt Mai can see from many perspectives and she can read between the lines of any conversation. I’m more of a memorable face with good credentials.”

“Memorable face,” Kuzumi said slowly, looking up at her uncle, not able to stop her eyes from drifting to the scarred side of his face. She didn't know exactly what had happened to him but she knew it involved her grandfather who nobody ever talked about.

Zuko brushed his scar absentmindedly. 

“A memorable face in many aspects,” he said. 

They finished sorting in silence and when she was done Kuzumi pushed her piles towards him. Zuko carefully stacked her lotus pile onto his and the same with the rejects. 

“So what brings you here,” Zuko asked. “I know you didn’t have my daughter scare away my guards for secretarial work.”

“I didn’t make Iz-” Kuzumi cut herself off. “What if the guards had thought I was an assassin?”

Zuki chuckled as Kuzumi pulled out her sheet of paper and pen. 

“May I ask you a question,” Kuzumi asked. 

“You don’t need to ask that,” Zuko said. 

“Who is your best friend?”

Zuko thought about the question for a moment. 

“I guess Aang or Sokka would be my best friend,” he said. 

“Are they both equal in your mind,” Kuzumi asked. 

“They’re my best friend in different ways, I guess,” Zuko said. “I work with Aang very closely and I see him a lot. We get along and we almost always see eye to eye. With Sokka there is a different energy when we’re together. It’s more bantering and having fun.”

“So you can’t pick?” Kuzumi asked. 

“I guess not,” Zuko said. 

“Maybe I can help you,” Kuzumi said. “What would you say is the defining characteristic of a best friend?”

“A best friend is a partner in crime. They scheme with you and understand you,” Zuko said. 

Kuzumi wrote that down. 

“Do you think if I read to you other people’s answers you’ll figure out if Sokka or Aang is your best friend?”

Zuko thought for a moment. 

“I’m not sure about that, but may I ask why you’re writing this stuff down?”

“I’m trying to figure out who my best friend is,” Kuzumi said. 

“I see,” Zuko said. “Well who is it?”

“I’ve collected all of my data points so now I need to reflect on them, I guess,” Kuzumi said. 

“Let me see that,” Zuko asked. 

Kuzumi slid him her paper. 

He read it over nodding. 

“Okay,” he said. “Who is the person that you would trust with any of your secrets? Don’t tell me, just keep that person in your head and then at the end you’ll see who you thought of the most.”

Kuzumi bit her lip and pondered the question. She didn’t really keep secrets from her parents but she didn’t consider them the go to people to act as her vault. The first person that really came into her mind was her cousin. 

Izumi knew all of her secrets and inner thoughts, even things she was afraid to tell anyone else. 

“I have someone in mind,” she said.

“Great,” Zuko replied. “Now, who is the person that you want to share funny moments with?”

Again, the first person she thought of was Izumi. She wanted to tell her everything, not just funny stories but weird ones and scary ones and sad ones. It felt good to have someone to share glances and inside jokes with. 

“Who would you lie for and take the blame for?” Zuko asked. 

Kuzumi thought about her burned hair and how she didn’t tell anyone Izumi had done it. She nodded slowly, it was all coming together. 

“Lastly, who is your partner in crime?”

That one was easily her cousin as well. They played pranks together, put on shows together, invented secret worlds together, and got into and out of trouble together. 

“Izumi is my best friend,” Kuzumi said, taking her paper back from her uncle. 

“Very good deducing,” Zuko said. 

“Thank you,” she replied, sliding off of the large chair. “I’ll see you at dinner,” she said as she ran out the door. 

“Bye!” Zuko called after her.  
*******************************************************************************************************************  
After leaving the Fire Lord’s office Kuzumi ran straight to her cousin’s room. This time she found the girl getting ready for the family dinner. 

“Guess what,” she said, panting. 

Izumi turned to her and tilted her head. 

“What?”

“I figured it out,” Kuzumi said. “You’re my best friend!”

Izumi smiled and walked over to her cousin, pulling her into a hug. 

“You’re my best friend too,” she said when she stepped away. 

Kuzumi looked at her confused.

“Did you also make a list,” she asked, holding out her paper. 

Izumi smiled.

“Is that what you’ve been doing all day?”

Kuzumi nodded. 

Izumi shook her head.

“I know you’re my best friend in here,” she said, pointing to her heart. “Plus we don’t really know that many people. Would Kya or Lin or any of the rest of them really be your best friend over me? Please,” she said. 

Kuzumi smiled at her.

“That’s very true,” she said. 

“Why were you trying to figure out who your best friend was anyway,” Izumi asked, turning back to her mirror and straightening her crown as Kuzumi bounced on her bed. 

“I read about this firebending form,” Kuzumi said. “It’s called the dancing dragon and the scroll said it is most successfully performed with a best friend.”

Izumi turned to her. 

“Will you do the dancing dragon with me,” Kuzumi asked, suddenly shy in front of the girl she’d spent her whole life with.

“Of course,” Izumi said. “Will you show me the steps?”  
**********************************************************************************************************************************  
Kuzumi and Izumi arrived at dinner together, in matching robes. 

Azula, Ty Lee, Mai and Zuko were already present. General Iroh sat at the table as well.

“We have something to show all of you,” they announced synchronously. 

“We’re ready,” Azula drawled, crossing her arms. 

Kuzumi and Izumi looked at each other and nodded. They walked to the empty floor in the center of the dining room and took their positions. 

Slowly they executed the mirrored steps of the dancing dragon, one after the other. Small blasts of fire were sent from their fists and feet and when they came together at the end there was a larger burst. 

All of the adults clapped as the girls skipped over to the table. 

“That is a very difficult technique to learn, even when you’re a master firebender,” Zuko said as they sat down.

“Very impressive,” Azula said nodding.

“I don’t know anything about firebending but that looked like a really fun dance!” Ty Lee exclaimed. 

The girls giggled and Azula rolled her eyes. 

“It’s not a dance,” Kuzumi said. “It’s the Dancing Dragon!”

“Sounds like a dance to me,” Mai deadpanned. 

"Sometimes fire bending can feel like the intersection between dancing and fighting," Iroh said. "Just like many things in life are a blend of-"

"Oh look, they're coming out of the kitchen," Azula exclaimed, cutting off her uncle in his infinite wisdom.

Food was brought and the family began eating.

“Did that demonstration have anything to do with your earlier pursuit?'' Azula asked her daughter as she cut into her roasted duck.

“Yeah,” Kuzumi said. “I needed to find my best friend to learn the form, and Izumi is my best friend.” 

“I’m glad you figured it out in the end,” Azula said. 

“What do you mean in the end,” Kuzumi asked. 

“Nothing,” Azula said. “Just that any of us could have told you that but I’m glad you got it your way.”

Kuzumi looked at all five adults at the table. Her cousin giggled. 

“You all knew and none of you told me,” she asked. 

Ty Lee and Mai shrugged. Zuko and Iroh just smiled at her.

“It’s a very important thing to learn who your own best friend is. It’s one thing to be told who it is but it’s another to decide and accept it for yourself,” Zuko said. 

Kuzumi blinked.

“Very wise words,” Azula said. “I didn’t realize you’d changed your name to General Iroh.”

Everyone at the table laughed.


End file.
